Swivel joint for conduits



g- 19, 1941- cowuss 2,253,018

' SWIVEL JOINT FOR coiqnurrs Filed July 17, 1939 Patented Aug. 19, 1 941 SWIVEL JOINT roa coNnm'rs Irving Cowles, Detroit, Mich., assignor'to said Cowles and Rudolph successor co-trust'egs W. Lots, Chicago, 11]., as

Application July 17, 1939, Serial No. 284,898

1 Claim.

of the swivel Joint structure, in crder'to facilitateremoval and replacement of such metallic gaskets which are used for high pressure purposes.

\ Other objects of the invention will be readily understood from .or specifically pointed out in the following specification.

A suitable embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a central, longitudinal, sectional view of a swivel Joint conduit coupling constructed in accordance with the inventiomas applied for connecting a hose coupling with a pipe.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail, longitudinal, sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. dis a. sectional view similar to Fig. 1 showing the swivel Joint applied to what is commonly known as 'a ball Joint union type of coupling.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

As shown in Fig. 1, the hose coupling A is connected with a pipe B, the latter being equipped with external threads to engage the internal threads of the swivel Joint coupling sleeve C.

The said coupling C comprises a sleeve which is externally hexagonal along the main or threaded portion I thereof, as shownin Figs. 1 and 3, and i equipped with a cylindrical portion 2 which is equipped with a cylindrical bore 3'of the same diameter as the threaded portion, threads of the latter being cut in said'bore. An annulan gropve is provided in the sleeve C between the internally threaded end portion thereof and the-cylindrical bore 3 of the same to receive the circumferential edge portion of a metallic or otherty'pe gasket 5 which is interposed between the end of the pipe B and the terminal end of the shank 8 of the coupling A and rests upon the annular shoulder l at the end of the smooth bore 3 Said shank 6 is equipped with an external annular groove 1 which includes the cylindrical portion 8, a transverse annular shoulder 9 and the tapered shoulder l0 which is disposed preferably at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the axis of the shank 8 and to the shoulder 9.

ring II. I is to permit a device or The length of the cylindrical wall of the groove I is preferably somewhat greater than the diameter'of the wire of which the split ring Ii to be received therein is made. The depth of said groove 1 is substantially equal to or slightly greater than the diameter of said wire.

The sleeve 0 is equipped between the ends of its cylindrical bore portion with an annular in ternal groove i2 which is equipped with an an-. nular wall or shoulder l3 extending perpendicuiarly to the axis of said sleeve and which is of appreciably less width than the'diameter of the wire of which the split ring H is composed and preferably equal to one-halt the gauge of said wire. Said groove is also equipped with a cylindrical wall I! and with a tapered wall I! parallel with the tapered wall Ill of the annular groove I to which it is opposed.

The split ring I I is composed of a resilient wire which is normally oi the same outer diameter or 01 somewhat greater outer diameter than the cylindrical wall it of the said groove i2, so that it will lie normally in snug contact with said cylindrical wall and with the tapered wail I8 of said groove l2.

Radial openings l6 are provided in the sleeve C to connect with the said groove l2, as shown opening being preferin Figs. 2, 3 and 5, said ably of about the diameter of the wire of the split The purpose of said radial openings l8 devices to be inserted into diametrically opposed openings l6 to engage and contact the said split ring H to its smallest diameter, which isindicated in dotted line in Fig. 3, in order to permit the sleeve C to be removed from the said stem or shank ,8 of the coupling A or other device to be coupled with the pipe B. a

' The outermost end of the cylindrical bore of the sleeve C isradiused as at I I in Fig. l in order that the sleeve may be disposed over the said stem or shank 8 without resorting to the complete contraction of the split ring ll, either digitally or by means of a tool, so that it the said ring is not completely contracted, the said sleeve C may be forced over said ring II to complete its contract and moved Fig. 3, whereupon said split ring will expand to the-position shown in Fig. 3 and lock the sleeve 0 against disengagement from the shank 8.

The washer 5, either of metal or other material, is introduced into the sleeve 0 eitherbefore or after the latter is engaged with the shank 8, and after engagement oi? said sleeve C with then to the position of said shank 8-, the pipe B is threaded into place i 2' Y and in effecting compression of the. gasket 8, places a stress upon the sleeve tending to with draw the same'from the shank 6.

By-reference to Fig; 3 it'wlll be noted that the split ring ii, is engaged at three different points throughout its arcuate length with the tapered surface It and ii of the grooves 'i and i2, re-

spectively, and at one point with the cylindrical wall Id of said groove i2, and that all pressure exerted upon the ring ii under the stress last-i mentioned, willtend to compress the wire of the ring between the said tapered surfaces iii and i! so that ,thetring actually acts to place an enole in forcing the gasket 5 into place past the threads of sleeve C, pressure thereon along one of its faces inwardly of the threads ofthe' sleeve 0 will 1 cause it to flex to substantially truncated cone iorm until it becomes seated and thereafter the end of pipe B will restore the same to its normal position shown in Fi 1.

In the structure of Figs. 4 and 5, the outer end 7 of the shank of the member 2i and the opend of the conduit element 22 are formed 30 cooperate with each other ln-the conventional manner to form what is known in the pipe-fitting .art as a ball Joint union. In this structure panding stress upon the cylindrical portion of the sleeve C' and .a contracting stress upon'the s 8; thus all danger of shearing the said split ring H is obviated and the latter is enabled tohear a far greater stress than is common to split rings as ordinarily used. It will be noted that the stress on the ring imposed by the member 0 is imparted in the direction of the'gasket 5 and inasmuchas the two surfaces ill and id are parallel with each other, the tapered surface iii isahsolutely unable to exert a stress on the split ring which will contract it and force it down into the groove I, it being obvious that the pressure in the last-named direction will tend also to cause the ring Ii to move outwardly from the mouth of the groove? rather than inwardly.

when it is desired to remove the sleeve C from the shank 6, the plugs it of rubber, or the like, filling the radial openings l6 are removed from the latter. Then the ends of a suitable pair of pliers, for example, are inserted into diametrically opposed openings id; as indicated. by arrows in Fig. 2 to eiiect contraction of the ring ll which is thus forced down to dotted-line position'illustrated in Fig. 3 and then, while said ring is maintained in this contracted condition, the sleeve 0 may be easily withdrawn from the shank 8. The contracting means 'bein caused to move with the sleeve C and being thus disengaged from the split ring.

If the gasket 5 is of metal, it will be obvious that it would be practically impossible to remove the sleeve 0, due to the fact that the inner diameter of the gasket 5 is equal to the diameter of the bore of the coupling A and could not be engaged by a suitable tool to remove the same. After the sleeve C is removed from the shank s and is disengaged from the pipe B, the gasket 5 may be readily removed and replaced. The replacement of said gasket is eifected by springing the same into place, which is easily done, in that no gasket is employed and hence the gasket seating shoulder 4 of the structure of Figs. 1 to 3 is omitted from the sleeve 23 which corresponds to the sleeve B of Fig. 1. y In all other respects the structural details covering the split ring and split ring receiving grooves are identical with those of Figs. 1 to 3.

v I claim as my invention: l

A coupling comprising a female member having a cylindrical bore, a cylindrical male member snugly engaged telescopically with said female member, a resilient and a normally expanded spring ring of round wire, said female member equipped between its ends with an annular groove of a depth substantially equal to one-half the diameter of the wire of which said split ring is composed and said male member equipped between its ends with-an annular recess of a depth no less than substantially equal to the diameter of said wire, said groove having a substantially cylindrical bottom wall, a-fiat end wall perpendicular to its axis, and an annular wall disposed at an angle of substantially 45 to and opposing saidflat wall with'said split ring normally substantialiy in contact with said three walls, said it by merely removing the end of the pipe B from posed radial openings extending from said flat' wall thereof to a point beyond the opposite side of the split ring for admission of means for contacting and disengaging the split-ring from said groove.

IRVING COWLES. 

